DEMOLITION of one of three Little Ave. buildings declared unsafe by the city began over the weekend.
George Vogel, acting as the agent for his mother's estate, the owner of the Second World War-era barracks building at 4450 Little Ave., had been given an extension until May 24 following an impassioned presentation to city council in January.
Accompanying the demolition work was a city move to turn the water off June 17 and, according to a city report, “sanitary service laterals will be capped within a week.”
City official David Block said Vogel has applied for a demolition permit.
That's in conjunction with a deal Vogel and local roofing contractor – and former BC Conservative Party candidate – Mike Brousseau have to purchase the property.
“I'm disassembling it, not demolishing it,” Brousseau said last week of his plans.
He said everything from the roof materials to the window frames can be salvaged for re-use.
Meanwhile, right next door at 4440 Little Ave., owner Lloyd Wittkowski, with the assistance of Brousseau who also wants to buy the property, has almost finished demolishing a similar structure to that on the Vogel property.
Block, the city's development services director, said a letter was sent to Wittkowski telling him to speed up the work. Demolition was supposed to be finished April 20 and all that remains now are a few building fragments.
Block said work appears to have slowed down on the third building ordered demolished which is owned by Wayne Kirby at 4520 Little Ave.
One portion of the structure has been removed but another, which had been a rental accommodation, still stands.
That building once served as a hospital operated by Red Cross.
Both Vogel and Kerby previously have told council that the demolition orders caused them significant financial strain.
Kerby has until July 19 to complete the teardown.
The city said in the past that if the owners do not comply with demolition orders the city will do the work and send the owners the bills.
“We have to make the city happy first,” Mike Brousseau said of his demolition work.
Once Brousseau has title to the properties he wants, he says he'll follow through on a plan to construct accommodation for people who need to learn job skills.
That plan was part of his campaign platform in May's provincial election.
Brousseau is calling his plan TAG, the Terrace Association of Do-gooders. This is a change from the plan’s first name, the Terrace Assembly of Gatherers.